Defra tenders for sheep tracking database

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will pay £6m over five years for an animal movements reporting service.

The electronic identification (EID) database will be used to track sheep and will link to an animal movement licensing system.

According to the notice published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 4 February 2010, the supplier will provide electronic submissions for 75% of sheep movements, so data can be re-used by markets and abattoirs. The supplier will also provide other database services.

In December 2007 the European Union agreed on 31 December 2009 as the obligatory implementation date for the introduction of EID for sheep and goats. England introduced new regulations requiring these animals to be tagged from that date, although rules on recording their movements are being phased in over the next two years.